Photos Pulling a gypsy caravan wagon with a tractor?

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This is kind of an announcement. An announcement to a public I hope will be more understanding to what I plan to do more than any other regular Jim from the Gym. So here it is!

I WILL MAKE A GYPSY WAGON and pull it with a tractor!
Call me stupid, naive, overly romantic and I will say yes, but it will be majestic!

Another tiny houser you will say but I am unwilling to use that word... not because I want to be anti trend but because we should name it as it is. Gypsies have perfected the art of travelling with there homes!
Although the gypsies who still roam around do it in caravans we have still allot to learn from the old designs.

But let's keep it short. The pictures below speak mostly for themselves!

I officially bought a Fiat Tractor today!!
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We (me and my best bud) named her Wendy and she is 42 years old and conceived in Romania. Never repainted so the colors are still original and the rust is very minimal for her age. Since I have some time before I build the wagon I will give her a new layer of paint and fancy decorations (not to much over the top).
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It's a Fiat 445 UTB made in Romania with a 3 cylinder engine. For now I don't know much about engines but I am willing to learn!
I have had a contact before who taught me some points to look at when buying a tractor.
So no water in the oil no oil in the water. starts immediately after preheating. Still does the 2400rpm for which it was made. Tires at the back are worn out but some newer tires where included in the price.
No obvious ''oil'' smoke when running the tractor.
Recent oil change is from March 2016
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The main work to this tractor is its body work but it's not like it's completely rotten.
also some electrical work (only some lights and a 12v plug) needs to be redone to be sure...
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Now for the WAGON. I will keep it short.
This will be the view when you return from the bathroom.
Yes that bed is pretty wide! I want allot of guests ;)
And yes You are invited! If you have made it this far in the post it would be weird not to!
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Here is something I copied straight from the gypsy ''vardo'' wagons.
It is a kind of roof extension that makes natural convection and ventilation smooth and lets allot of light in.
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Here's the view you get when you are some kind of goldilocks and you stumble upon my wagon in the woods and see some mouthwatering desert standing on the kitchen.
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When you are a star who likes watching humans then this will be your view.
A big piece of Plexiglas on the roof for stargazing and light. In the winter I will probably stuff this part with some temporary insulation like sheep wool.
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And this is just the outside.
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I want to share my experiences as much as possible and would love it if you could give me some feedback. Not on style because I designed this wagon myself and I am hooked to it's looks. You can tell me it looks ugly but I wont respond to you.
I will also try to start a youtube channel but I find it really weird to film myself.... It will be awkward in the beginning!

I plan to build this wagon in the spring of 2017. So if anyone is around then and willing to help... Come on over!! People who helped in the building process will be higher on the list for a comfortable bed when travelling but if you don't mind sleeping in your sleeping bag on the floor or in a tent outside then you can join in as well. Let's create a circus!!

Next Wednesday I will bring the tractor to it's winter stay and try to film it!

You will hear from me but I hope I will hear from you?
Contact me if you want more info right NOW!
 

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Matt Derrick

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sounds interesting, but my first concern would be the gas mileage i guess. i mean, those things aren't exactly built to go long distances are they? have you considered something a little more economical? or maybe going with a horse-drawn carriage? just curious....
 

Matt Derrick

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also, i changed the title of your thread to make it a little more relevant, since the original made no sense at all.
 
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sounds interesting, but my first concern would be the gas mileage i guess. i mean, those things aren't exactly built to go long distances are they? have you considered something a little more economical? or maybe going with a horse-drawn carriage? just curious....

First of I don't plan to go long distances anyway. Slow travel like about 65 miles a day.
Also I have no experience with horses at all but that could be an option in the future...
My plan to make it more economical is to use used vegetable oil and frying oil. Those sturdy diesel engines can drink that stuff straight if heated up properly... (I'll keep you posted)
And last: if I go faster than a tractor (aka 20mph) European regulations kick in and my wagon chassis becomes 4x more expensive and I need another kind of drivers license... So big bummer.

So I went for a tractor because I didn't need to go fast and I will travel between jobs so most of the time I'm stationary. Totally not worth the investment. Also as I plan to stay at WOOFING places I could be useful with the tractor...
 

Durp

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HAHAHAH! Yes! Bravo! I am excited to see how this evolves. Do yourself a favor and buy a full tool set, and carry several fuel filters.
 

roguetrader

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go for it heron - that's a great way to travel, gets round a few irritating laws, and also has the cuteness factor which helps when parked by the side of road.... my good buddy and neighbour Mark has turned his 13tonne removals truck into a trailer that he now pulls with a big 6 cylinder Massey Ferguson tractor... basically he cut the engine / gearbox / front axle / cab out and had a big old A-frame welded to the chassis... the brakes on the back still work offa the tractor hydraulics and the legality is much simpler....

Sent from my XT1039 using the Squat the Planet mobile app!
 

Hillbilly Castro

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Anyone think of doing this with a lawn tractor? Not sure what the laws in the U.S. would think of it... but I want to do this this winter
 

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